Conventional microelectronic devices are manufactured for specific performance characteristics required for use in a wide range of electronic equipment. A packaged microelectronic device can include a die, an interposer substrate or lead frame attached to the die, and a molded casing around the die. The die generally has an integrated circuit and a plurality of bond-pads electrically connected to the integrated circuit. The bond-pads are coupled to terminals on the interposer substrate or lead frame. The interposer substrate can also include ball-pads connected to the terminals by conductive traces in a dielectric material. A plurality of solder balls can be attached to corresponding ball-pads to construct a “ball-grid” array.
Several dies can be attached to a single substrate to form a multi-chip module (MCM), such as a single in-line memory module (SIMM) or a dual in-line module (DIMM), for applications in which the performance requirements exceed the capability of a single die. A SIMM is a memory module having several dies aligned in a row and connected to a printed circuit board to, in effect, create a single device with the memory capacity of the combined dies. The internal circuitry of the printed circuit board connects each die to contact pads that are disposed on one side of the module proximate to the edge. The contact pads are arranged for attachment to an edge-type connector. A DIMM is similar to a SIMM, except the DIMM provides additional memory capacity and includes contact pads on both sides of the module proximate to the edge.
Edge-type connectors receive SIMMs, DIMMs, and other types of memory modules to electrically couple the modules to external devices. For example, a conventional connector for use with a DIMM includes a socket having a plurality of pins arranged in two rows to contact the pads on each side of the module, respectively. When the module is inserted into the socket, the pads on the module contact and flex corresponding pins as the pads slide along the pins to a contact point.
One drawback of conventional memory modules is that the force required for inserting the modules into the connectors can be large. This is particularly true for high performance memory modules that require connectors with high pin counts. In applications in which the memory modules are manually inserted into the connectors, an individual may bend the pins, break the connector, and/or damage the module due to the large insertion force. It is also possible that some individuals may not be able to apply sufficient force to reliably insert the modules. To reduce the insertion force, the individual may first insert one end of the module into the connector and then pivot the module downward to insert the other end into the connector. This approach, however, exerts side forces on the pins of the connector, which tends to bend the pins and damage the connector. Another approach to reduce the insertion force includes beveling the portion of the memory module between the contact pads and the edge. This approach, however, does not reduce the insertion force because the pins typically do not contact the beveled portion of the module. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the force required for inserting memory modules into connectors.